Letter: Richard Darwin Keynes obituary

Allen Packwood writes: Professor Richard Darwin Keynes (obituary, 18 August) was a fellow of Churchill College from 1961, the year after the new institution received its royal charter, until his death. As the chairman of the college archives committee from 1977 until 1998, he presided over the development of the Churchill Archives Centre into a world-renowned focus for research into the era of Sir Winston Churchill and after.

Two past keepers of the archives, Correlli Barnett and Piers Brendon, and myself, as its present director, benefited from his unfailing support. In particular, Richard played a key role in the tortuous negotiations between 1987 and 1995 to keep Sir Winston's papers in Churchill College. At that time, the college was caught between the government – in the form of the Cabinet Office and the Treasury – and a family trust, engaged in tense discussions that could have seen the wartime prime minister's personal papers removed and even sold on the open market.

It was very much thanks to Richard's diplomatic skills and personal prestige that the negotiations ended in an agreement by which the National Heritage Lottery Fund bought the papers on behalf of the nation, on condition that they would be permanently cared for by the Churchill Archives Centre. Richard also presided over the successful negotiations in 1997 whereby prime minister Margaret Thatcher's papers joined Sir Winston's on permanent deposit in the Churchill Archives Centre.

On 15 March 2007, the centre organised an afternoon symposium, Churchill's Scientists, commemorating the achievements of the scientists and engineers associated with the college, many of them – such as its first master, the radar and nuclear pioneer Sir John Cockcroft – directly involved in second world war initiatives. This event was held in honour of Richard, though, sadly, poor health prevented him from attending.